Method for displaying shirts



June 28, 1966 J. E. PETERS 3,253,131

METHOD FOR DISPLAYING SHIRTS Filed Feb. 18, 1964 United States Patent 3,258,181 METHOD FOR DISPLAYING SHIRTS Julius E. Peters, Sands Point, N.Y., assignor to Beaver Shirt Mfg. Co., New York, N.Y. Filed Feb. 18, 1964, Ser. No. 345,677 3 Claims. ((11. 22371) This invention relates generally to the field of display fixtures, and more particularly to an improved means and method for displaying sport shirts upon hangers disposed upon a rack in an attractive manner.

With the increased use of shirt-jackets to replace, to a degree, conventional sport shirts and dress shirts, the problem of displaying the same has become of greater importance. The normal procedure includes pressing, hanging on pipe racks, folding, then pinning and packaging in flat or corrugated containers. Additional care is required when folding a shirt in the new style, to prevent wrinkling en route.

Obviously, it is not practical to pack the shirt-jacket with a hanger already in place, this being normally positioned by the retailer prior to hanging the garment on a rack. While it is possible to pack the hanger with the shirt, the problem of draping the same to give the shirt an attractive appearance prior to hanging the same on a rack takes considerable time, often involving repinning the shirt after the same has been unfolded, and in some cases even pressing the shirt to remove undesired wrinkles.

It is therefore among the principle objects of the present invention to provide an improved means and method for packaging shirts wherein the same may be conveniently partially unfolded and readily hung upon a display rack.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of an improved method of packaging a shirt-jacket in which the same. may occupy no greater space when in packaged condition than a conventional dress shirt.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of an improved clip element which may be installed upon the garment at the time the packaging is performed, which will maintain the garment in properly draped shape, so that it is only necessary for the retailer to insert a conventional hanger beneath the yoke portion of the garment prior to hanging.

A feature of the invention lies in the fact that the novel method involves only a minimum of pinning, and the removal of only two clips prior to the insertion of a hanger in the garment to prepare the same for display.

These objects and features, as well as other incidental ends and advantages, will more fully appear in the progress of the following disclosure and be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing, to which reference will be made in the specification, similar reference characters have 'been employed to designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a jackettype shirt embodying the invention, in condition for hanging upon a display rack.

FIGURE 2 is a rear elevational view of the jackettype shirt in folded condition and prior to insertion in a protective envelope.

FIGURE 3 is a rear elevational view showing the side opposite that seen in FIGURE 1.

In accordance with the invention, there is illustrated in FIGURE 1 in the drawing a conventional shirt-jacket 10, including a collar member 11 defining a neck opening 12, a pair of front panels 13 and 14, sleeves 15 and 16, a waistband 17. Inserted within the neck opening 12 is a conventional shirt hanger 18, and, as will more fully appear at a point later in the disclosure, the shirt is ar- 3,258,181 Patented June 28, 1966 ice ranged for display in such manner as to present tapered fold lines 19 and'20.

Referring to FIGURE 2, in folding the garment for packaging, wherein the same may be shipped to a retailer, the shoulder yoke 22 is folded to form first and second fold portions 23 and 24, respectively, the portions 23 and 24 each having a width of approximately one-fourth of the width of the unfolded flattened shirt. During this operation, there will be formed first and second parallel fold edges 25 and 26, respectively. Upon completion of the above folding operation, the lower onethird of the garment is folded upwardly to form a transverse lower fold line 27. Prior to this operation, the folded portion, which includes the waistband 17, is interconnected to the remaining parts of the garment at 28 and 29 by clips 30 and 31, respectively. Prior to the clipping operation, or immediately following the same,

the free ends of the waistband 17 are interconnected using pin means 36. The ends 34 and 35, respectively, may be either a-butted or overlapped, as seen in FIG- URE 3.

Referring to FIGURE 3, upon unpacking the garment the clips 30 and 31 are removed, allowing the folded portion defined by the line 27 to be brought to co-planar condition. At the lowermost part of the leftand rightarm scyes 37 and 38, respectively, there is interconnected a clip element 39 formed by first and second clip members 40 and 41, respectively, the clips 4041 being interconnected by a short length of cord 42, such that the effective length of the entire element 39 is' substantially less than the width of the hanger, preferably of the order of less than one-half of the width of the shirt 10 at the shoulder yoke 22. Where desired, the interconnection of the clip element 39 may .be performed at the time of packaging, that is to say the same is installed prior to the forming of the fold portion defined by the line 27, so that, upon unpacking, it is necessary only to remove the clips 30 and 31 and insert the hanger 18 within the neck opening 12 prior to hanging.

It will be observed that by maintaining a constriction in the area of the lower portion of the arm scyes, and by maintaining simultaneously the lower part of the fold portions 23 and 24, as viewed from the front the shirt 10 displays an attractive tapered line, occupying less display space and providing for easier handling of the garment by a customer when he is examining a group of similar garments upon a display rack.

To wear the shirt, it is necessary only to remove the single pin 36, and disconnect the clip element 39, a step which may be performed either by the retailer or the consumer.

It will be observed that owing to the presence of the pin 36 and the clip element 39, no auxiliary stiffening elements are required, whereby the garment may occupy a minimum volume when packaged for shipping. The garment is maintained in the condition shown in FIG- URE 2 solely by the presence of a single pin and the two clips 30 and 31.

I wish it to be understood that I do not consider the invention limited to the precise details of structure shown and set forth in this specification, for obvious modifications will occur to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains.

I claim:

1. The method of packaging a shirt or similar garment for subsequent display, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a clip element including first and second clip members interconnected by a flexible means such that the effective distance between said clips is substantially less than one half the flattened width of said shirt;

(b) placing said shirt in flattened condition;

(0) folding said shirt longitudinally to reduce the effective width thereof to approximately one-half, thereby forming a pair of oppositely disposed longitudinal fold portions;

(d) interconnecting said fold portions in abutted relation substantially at the lower edges thereof;

(e) interconnecting the ends of said clip element to each of said fold portions at points above said lower edge; and

(f) inserting a hanger within the neck opening thereof.

2. The method of packaging a shirt or similar garment,

said garment including arm scyes and sleeves interconnected thereto, for subsequent display, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a clip element including first and second clip members interconnected by a flexible cord such that the effective distance between said clips is substantially less than one half the flattened width of said shirt;

(b) placing said shirt in flattened condition;

(c) folding said shirt longitudinally to reduce the effective width thereof to approximately one-half, thereby forming a pair of oppositely disposed longitudinal fold portions;

(d) interconnecting said fold portions in abutted relation substantially at the lower edges thereof; and

(e) interconnecting the ends of said clip element to each of said fold portions in the area of the lowermost part of said arm scyes.

3. The method of packaging a shirt or similar garment,

said garment including arm scyes and sleeves interconnected thereto, for subsequent display, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a clip element including first and second clip members interconnected by a flexible cord such that the effective distance between said clips is substantially less than one half the flattened width of said shirt;

(b) placing said shirt in flattened condition;

(c) folding said shirt longitudinally to reduce the effective width thereof to approximately one-half, thereby forming a pair of oppositely disposed longitudinal fold portions;

((1) interconnecting said fold portions in abutted rc lation substantially at the lower edges thereof;

(e) interconnecting the ends of said clip element to each of said fold portions in the area of the lowermost part of said arm scyes; and

(f) folding transversely approximately the lowermost third of said fold portions and fastening the ends of the same to the remaining part of said garment.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,804,308 5/1931 Bollinger 24 8 1,906,472 5/1933 Liebowitz 223 71 2,321,870 6/1943 Steele 223-37 2,632,564 3/1953 Bloom 20646 3,126,601 3/1964 De Marrc 24-87 JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

' G. V. LARKIN, Assistant Examiner. 

3. THE METHOD OF PACKAGING A SHIRT OR SIMILAR GARMENT, SAID GARMENT INCLUDING ARM SCYES AND SLEEVES INTERCONNECTED THERETO, FOR SUBSEQUENT DISPLAY, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: (A) PROVIDING A CLIP ELEMENT INCLUDING FIRST AND SECOND CLIP MEMBERS INTERCONNECTED BY A FLEXIBLE CORD SUCH THAT THE EFFECTIVE DISTANCE BETWEEN SAID CLIPS IS SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN ONE HALF THE FLATTENED WIDTH OF SAID SHIRT; (B) PLACING SAID SHIRT IN FLATTENED CONDITION; (C) FOLDING SAID SHIRT LONGITUDINALLY TO REDUCE THE EFFECTIVE WIDTH THEREOF TO APPROXIMATELY ONE-HALF, THEREBY FORMING A PAIR OF OPPOSITELY DISPOSED LONGITUDINAL FOLD PORTIONS; (D) INTERCONNECTING SAID FOLD PORTIONS IN ABUTTED RELATION SUBSTANTIALLY AT THE LOWER EDGES THEREOF; (E) INTERCONNECTING THE ENDS OF SAID CLIP ELEMENT TO EACH OF SAID FOLD PORTIONS IN THE AREA OF THE LOWERMOST PART OF SAID ARM SCYES; AND (F) FOLDING TRANSVERSELY APPROXIMATELY THE LOWERMOST THIRD OF TO SAID FOLD PORTIONS AND FASTENING THE ENDS OF THE SAME TO THE REMAINING PART OF SAID GARMENT. 